Project Canvas

Project Canvas is the innovative and ambitious endeavor that emerged from the death of Project Kangaroo. The BBC is heading the charge, with backing from the likes of ITV, Five, Channel 4, BT, and TalkTalk.

Canvas is a user interface and set of Internet TV protocols that could provide a standard for everyone in the future. There are also plans to release an Internet-connected set-top box by the end of this year.

Canvas Competition

The problem for Canvas is that it’s by no means the only effort to provide a standard for on-demand Web TV viewed from the sofa in your living room.

Yahoo launched its Connected TV service at CES 2009, while at CES 2010, which Chris Tew is covering in great detail here on WebTVWire, others have launched similar efforts.

TV On Demand On TV

CES 2010 has seen the launch of DivX TV, DivX’s latest attempt at reinventing itself. Rather than a set-top box, DivX wants to be the premiere Web TV platform on all manner of different devices.

Vudu has also announced a streaming movie service available on TV sets and Blu-ray players from the big-name manufacturers such as Sanyo, Samsung, Sharp, Toshiba, and Mitsubishi.

And let’s not forget Boxee, which has just entered its full public beta. This is the open source offering that already has a massive range of content, although most of it is geo-blocked outside of the States.

Conclusions

I’m not suggesting it’s too late for Canvas to establish itself. Certainly, in the U.K. at least, it stands a very good chance of doing so. I just wish the BBC worked in a slightly different way so that everything didn’t have to go through committee after committee to get approved. Vital months have been lost as a result.

The (D)Evolution Of Television

When television was first invented and released to the public, watching programming on it was an event. Often, neighbors would visit just to watch whatever was being shown on the box in the living room.

Back then, of course, there wasn’t exactly much to watch. Now, as television has evolved, the amount of programming has increased, and with that the number of people watching each show has decreased.

Couple that with our busier lives and the occurrence of people watching television together has reduced dramatically. But it’s not from a lack of desire.

Social Web TV

Thankfully, the Web is helping bring this kind of social viewing back. According to The New York Times, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, video chatting services like Skype, specially created Web sites, and streaming video locales such as Justin.tv are all assisting in a new interpretation of social viewing.

Which is good news, but it could be ever better. Surely online video is the perfect vehicle for bringing the idea of social TV viewing back to the mainstream.

Social Viewing Examples

There are a few examples of attempts to make social viewing the absolute center of the online video experience.

In 2008, CBS created its Social Viewing Rooms, virtual living rooms where people could sit around watching their favorite shows together, and commenting and discussing them as they played out.

And then last year saw Watchitoo launch with the promise of allowing groups of people to watch YouTube videos together in an informal setting on the Internet.

Conclusions

The problem is that none of these efforts have truly solved the problem or caught on in a big way. Which is a shame as humans are naturally social animals and need interaction while partaking in most activities. And watching TV is no exception.

The best examples of social TV viewing to date are the CNN broadcasts coupled with Facebook updates. But I get the feeling more is needed and more is on its way. The question is who will wrestle social TV viewing into submission first. My money is on Hulu.

From Geeks To The Mainstream

When I was growing up, video games and gaming were the domain of the geeky. And I was one of the nerds involved. But it’s an activity that has changed massively in recent times.

The release of the PS2 and then the Wii brought gaming into the mainstream in a big way, with new people of all ages casually dipping their toes into the water.

Casual Web Gaming

And the Web has sped the process up, with online gaming becoming a huge business. There are free MMOs which make money from advertising and micro-transactions, and games such as Farmville and Mafia Wars which are clogging up Facebook in a big way.

Most Web games are Flash-based, but online video hasn’t yet been properly utilized. But that could be all about to change, with Google set to bring interactive games to YouTube.

YouTube Video Gaming

As unearthed by BNET, Google filed a patent called ‘Web-Based System for Generation of Interactive Games Based on Digital Videos’ in February 2009. Details of the patent application were only recently revealed.

The patent concerns:

“The collaborative generation of interactive features for digital videos, and in particular to interactive video annotations enabling control of video playback locations and creation of interactive games.”

Which doesn’t sound like much, but which could be the beginnings of a whole new strand of online video: interactive gaming. By using text box annotations which pause a video and offer a link to other videos or parts of the site, YouTube could be the home of video gaming in the truest sense of the term.

This has already been done in a very simple sense, with this Easter Egg Hunt video a good example of the genre as it is. But Google probably has more complicated and involved uses in mind.

Conclusions

Why would Google want to get into interactive gaming? Because it’s a hugely popular part of the Web which opens up the possibility for interactive advertising opportunities. Viral video marketing is now as common as muck, but this could be the next evolution of it.

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However, Rupert Murdoch’s BSkyB isn’t happy with the proposals, and BBC red tape means it probably won’t arrive until 2011 – if at all.

Kangaroo To Canvas

Project Kangaroo was a joint project between the BBC, ITV, and Channel 4, the big three broadcasters in the U.K. It would have resulted in a one-stop shop for the online catch-up services currently offered by all three separately.

Unfortunately, BSkyB and Virgin Media complained about the project and the Competition Commission consequently culled the project before it truly got off the ground. The technology was then sold to Arqiva, which plans to use it to set up its own online television service.

However, the BBC had already moved onto Project Canvas. The same companies are involved, along with British Telecom, with Canvas conceived as an open standard for online video. Set-top boxes would mean viewers had access to a whole range of Internet TV.

Canvas Video Demo

The BBC’s future media & technology director Erik Huggers detailed Project Canvas a few weeks ago at C21Media’s FutureMedia conference in London. His presentation included a video demonstration of how Canvas would work with the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The demo gave a good flavor of what to expect should Canvas make it to launch. It could truly revolutionize Internet television in the U.K. and give not just the BBC but also commercial third parties to chance to reach viewers like never before.

BSkyB Complains

However, there are a couple of hurdles to overcome before that. The satellite broadcaster BSkyB has come out strongly against Canvas, and its arguments are very similar to those used against Kangaroo.

Rupert Murdoch’s company suggests that membership of the scheme is exclusionary and that it isn’t actually an open joint venture. It is also against the BBC’s involvement as it is funded by the license fee and Canvas is an abuse of that public money.

This may seem like sour grapes but similar arguments managed to get Kangaroo killed.

Seeking Approval

Regardless of BSkyB’s objections, Project Canvas still has to make its way through the BBC’s red tape before it can be launched. The BBC Trust is currently consulting on the scheme and deciding whether it makes budgetary sense to go ahead with it.

Unfortunately, this means that Canvas is unlikely to see the light of day before 2011, with there still being a small chance of a Christmas 2010 release for the set-top boxes. That is, if Canvas gets given the OK in the first place.

Live Streaming Video

Live streaming video services allow anyone to stream what they want over the Internet to anyone who is interested in watching. The only real rules are regarding the content, with no copyright-infringements or criminal offenses allowed.

There are already a number of well-established companies offering ordinary people the chance to host their own online television show, with Stickam, Ustream, Livestream, and Justin.tv all popular and all user-friendly to varying degrees.

TinyChat

However, TinyChat hopes to compete alongside these established companies with its new TinyChat.tv service.

TinyChat is a startup which has managed to gain a foothold in the live video chat sector over recent months. It’s popular even at this early stage of its life, mainly because it’s ultra-simple to use, with no sign in or technical knowhow required.

TinyChat.tv is, however, a different proposition.

TinyChat.tv

The basic interface of TinyChat.tv is very similar to that of the regular TinyChat. But room owners can customize their rooms and decide whether to force users to sign in using a Twitter or Facebook login.

The main advantage TinyChat.tv has over its competitors is the multi-participant shows. The main disadvantage is how long (relatively speaking) it takes to set up a room and start broadcasting.

Pro members paying the $9.95 asking price can set passwords for private rooms and stream in higher quality video. The service could and should be improved immensely by developers using the free API (Application Programming Interface).

Conclusions

I’m not sure we actually need another live steaming service but then TinyChat.tv is offering something slightly different than the rest. At this moment in time it cannot hope to compete with its long-established competitors but I wouldn’t bet against it managing to do so in a short space of time.

[Via ReadWriteWeb]

Netflix On Xbox 360

Xbox 360 owners gained access to Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ video-on-demand streaming service last November with the roll-out of the long-awaited New Xbox Experience. This gave Xbox Live subscribers access to the 12,000-plus movies and television episodes Netflix gives away to its subscribers.

This was just the latest step in the evolution of video games consoles from being meant just for games to becoming true multimedia devices designed as living room entertainment hubs.

Games Consoles = Entertainment Hubs

Since then, all three home games consoles, the Xbox 360, PS3, and Wii have added video to their line-up of offerings.

The Xbox 360 has secured more television and movies on both sides of the Atlantic, with content from NBC Universal amongst other. 1080p HD Zune playback and a console version of the Sky Player are also on the way to the Microsoft console.

The PS3 has added a music video service called Vidzone to its line-up, which acts like an on-demand MTV. Thanks to its in-built Web browser, the likes of Hulu and the BBC iPlayer can also be viewed on the Sony console.

The Wii hasn’t faired quite as well, but its Web browser can also stream video in the same way the PS3 can. And with YouTube rolling out a version of the site intended purely for watching on television, Wii owners aren’t without options.

New Netflix Features

Today saw Microsoft unveil another update to its Xbox 360 dashboard. It includes several new features for Netflix playback. Party Watch is a social feature that enables Netflix users to watch content together on their Xbox 360 consoles.

While improved playback functionality, an improved search function, and more information regarding what your friends are watching all add to the usefulness of Netflix on the Xbox 360.

Netflix An Xbox 360 Exclusive?

Interestingly, the patch notes for the update also includes a section concerning the exclusivity of Netflix on games consoles:

“This exclusive partnership offers you the ability to instantly stream movies and TV episodes from Netflix to the television via Xbox 360. Xbox 360 will be the only game console to offer this movie-watching experience, available to Xbox LIVE Gold members who are also Netflix unlimited plan subscribers, at no additional cost.”

This promise for the Xbox 360 to “be the only game console” featuring Netflix Watch Instantly flies in the face of rumors from April which suggested the service was also on its way to the PS3 and Wii.

Either Microsoft has secured a long-term exclusivity agreement with Netflix or it’s hedging its bets that Netflix will decide not to branch out and welcome rival consoles to the party. Either way, the Xbox 360 looks to have secured Netflix for the foreseeable future.

[Via NewTeeVee]

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Social Online Video Viewing

The idea of social viewing for online video has been around for a while now. Lycos lets people watch movies together, while PalTalk allows video chat to be integrated into rooms with multiple users. Then in October 2008, CBS introduced social viewing rooms to its Web site, which allows groups of people to watch CBS shows online together in the same way they would in a living room.

That’s the key to this whole idea; moving the real-life living room to the virtual world. Because online video viewing is usually a solitary pastime, with even the best clips only being shared either by embedding or linking rather than watching together with other people in real-time. But Watchitoo changes all that.

Watch It Too With Watchitoo

Watchitoo is a start-up based in New York and Israel which operates on the premise that humans are inherently social animals. The increased popularity of social networking of late would seem to back this premise up. So Watchitoo attempts to combine several elements into one in order to allow online video viewing with an added social twist.

With Watchitoo, anyone can open a room, either public or private, where either invited guests or a group of strangers can socialize. There’s the option to text chat, video chat, and most importantly share YouTube videos with each other. So it’s kind of like watching a television channel made up of selected YouTube videos with your friends. Or random strangers if you prefer.

Revenue and Content Concerns

Watchitoo was founded in 2007 and has been in private beta testing for a number of months. But it’s now open to the public, with a full-screen viewing mode added as a new feature. At the moment the site is free and not monetized, but chief executive Rony Zarom told VentureBeat that it’s looking to pursue one of a number of different revenue models.

Content is limited just to YouTube videos for now, but that could obviously be expanded to include other sources over time. And with content still being key, that could prove to be the making of Watchitoo. This kind of application would obviously work better with long-form content such as full episodes of TV shows or feature films, rather than short-form clips of animals surfing and the like.

Conclusions

I like the idea of social viewing for online video, but every attempt at turning this into the next big Internet phenomenon has so far failed to really take off. Whether Watchitoo can manage to dig itself out of the niche sector and in to the mainstream remains to be seen. But it has a good chance of doing so because the site is designed well and deserves to flourish.

Live Video Streaming

The live video streaming sector is one of the most competitive across the whole online video market. Big names such as Justin.tv, Ustream, and Mogulus continue to evolve and improve in their efforts to become the number one brand and recognized in the same breath as Google, eBay, Amazon, and YouTube.

Mogulus recently rebranded itself to LiveStream, buying the frankly worth its weight in gold domain name to go with it. While Ustream underwent a radical redesign this time last year and then again in April of this year. Now, Justin.tv, the current traffic leader, has done the same. As well as a complete redesign of the site there are also a number of new features being added to the mix.

Justin.tv Redesign

The Justin.tv site has been given a visual overhaul, now looking cleaner and more simplified than before. The usability of the site has also been made more simpler, obviously an attempt to persuade more people than broadcasting isn’t something which requires degrees in film-making and electronics.

The main way this simple approach is achieved is by the introduction of one-touch recording. There’s no longer any need to sign up for an account or log in to an existing one. You can now start sharing live video with the world by “Live broadcasting in one click.” There is also now a Meebo IM chat bar present on each page of the site.

Camtweet and DVR Functionality

Justin.tv has also introduced a couple of very nice features in the last month. June saw DVR functionality come to the service. Now, when you’re watching something and realize you need to pause or stop watching for a while, you can click a button to give you the option to, “Continue watching this later.” The video will be recorded and you can begin watching from the point you left the video stream for up to seven days.

Just a few days ago Justin.tv also unveiled Camtweet, a new side project aimed at users of the micro-blogging social networking site Twitter. In essence, the yet-to-launch Twitter app allows you to broadcast live video on Twitter. Camtweet is a devilishly simple idea that brings Justin.tv functionality to the much-hyped Twitter just as it goes mainstream.

Conclusions

These changes are making Justin.tv a whole lot more user-friendly than it was previously. Which has got to be a good thing in such a crowded and competitive market. By appealing to the masses, and taking the pain out of live streaming, Justin.tv could be about to increase the lead it holds over its rivals. Until, of course, they up the ante once again. Either way, it’s broadcasters who benefit.

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Social Networking Features

Recent months have brought news of a couple of innovations in the field of matching up online video and social networking. The new Xbox 360 Sky Player will allow fans to watch football matches together using on-screen avatars. While both Joost and Hulu have recently unveiled new elements to their services which are designed to increase user interaction during programs. And CBS Interactive introduced Social Viewing Rooms to bring the idea of sitting around watching TV together in a living room to the Web.

Live Stream Box

Now comes a new feature which brings a similar concept to Facebook, the world’s largest social network with in excess of 200 million members. It’s called Live Stream Box and it enables Facebook users to watch a streaming video event, comment and chat while it is happening, and see their messages appearing both alongside the video and on their Facebook profile.

The feature was first tested during CNN’s streaming coverage of Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration earlier this year. Since then it has been used for Jonas Brothers concerts, some of the sites covering the Oscars, and the NBA All-Star game. With these tests proving successful, the feature is now being rolled out to anyone who wants in.

Open To All

According to the Facebook Developers Blog, any Web site owner can use the feature to enable Facebook users to share in a video event. This can be any “live streaming” occasion including “concerts, speeches, sporting events, webcasts, TV shows, presentations, or webinars.

The Live Stream Box is built to handle millions of viewers at a time, which is a good thing seeing as 1.5 million unique posts were made using the feature during the aforementioned Jonas Brothers concert. The dual posting on the Live Stream Box and Facebook itself means video events can go viral really quickly.

Ustream

All content owners are welcome to participate but Ustream is the first video site to take advantage of the feature. Ustream is expecting high demand, however, and so has set some limits on who can get involved. People who think they can benefit from the functionality of the new Ustream Live Stream Box have to apply to have it turned on. There is a free, ad-supported version with limited slots available, and a white-label version which requires a one-time development fee of $15,000.

Conclusions

Social networking is big business, as the success of Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and other sites shows. It’s good to see online video embracing social networking features to give it an added advantage over traditional television. The idea of watching the goggle box with a large group of people may be quite old-fashioned but it’s now helping a new generation of content providers connect with their audience.

Facebook Is Huge

Facebook is, at its heart, all about communication. The social network, now the biggest one in the world, even beating the giant that is MySpace, allow you to make friends and share your life with them. This sharing takes many forms, from messaging, to sharing photos, and of course, sharing video clips.

Facebook currently offers two forms of video interaction – the linking and embedding of external clips such as those from YouTube, Hulu, and the like; and the uploading of personal clips. This latter variety, which is 100 percent user-generated content, has seen Facebook steadily climb the video viewer charts until it is now banging on the door of the top ten.

Facebook Video Metrics

According to comScore, Facebook managed 12.5 million unique video viewers in March, 2009. This is nowhere near the amount enjoyed by its closest rival MySpace and isn’t that impressive when you consider the site has 200 million or so users, but seeing as video is just a small part of what the site offers, it’s not a bad result.

Having said that, that depends whether you believe the online video metrics are correct or not. Hulu has recently questioned the results because three different measurement companies produced three very different sets of results.

Facebook Video Chat

Regardless, Facebook seems intent on becoming the solution for all your communication needs, and live video chat could be the final frontier its aiming to cross to achieve such a heady aim. An AllFacebook reader recently spotted cached JavaScript files on Facebook which point towards live video chat being just around the corner.

The code is still currently available and shows notification messages such as, “Waiting for your friend…”, “Video call denied.”, “Incoming call:”, and “Loading video call…”. The intention seems clear: turn the live chat option currently offered on Facebook into a live video chat option instead.

Conclusions

This could, of course, be a speculative stab in the dark but it would certainly make sense for Facebook to want to head in that direction. And if it indeed does launch a live video chat service, it would be a huge blow for similar service already in existence. Skype is the undisputed video chat leader but there is also Google’s Gtalk within Gmail and Tokbox.

With 200 million plus users, all of whom already have a set of friends they’d probably love to chat to via video, Facebook could be about to corner the market.